Last week when I was talking about former NFL NY Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer, it kind of brought back some memories. So today I’m going to share my strange but true story about Palmer.

Way back when, when Jesse was making me swoon by saying…WOW…I’d watch football just to see this guy. He was on this little show called “The Bachelor.”

To me, I thought he was the hottest Bachelor to ever be on the show. That was the first time I ever watched the entire season of “The Bachelor” and the last.

I was living in Indianapolis during the time that Jesse was on “The Bachelor.” I lived right along the canal next to Butler University.

One day, I decided to take my Alaskan Malamute “KUSH” out for a walk along the canal.

Now, Kush is a huge dog. At the time, he was the biggest dog on the canal. I would have to use my entire weight to try and control him to keep him from not bothering other people or their dogs. He could eat most of the dogs in the neighborhood for breakfast!

Well, on our stroll, Kush was looking around in the grass along the canal (he’d jump in if he realized that I didn’t have a strong hold on him). A really good looking athletic type guy was jogging towards me along the canal with his dog (without a leash).

I kept looking at the guy thinking, “Wow…this guy is really hot. He’s so hot…like Jesse…Palmer…hot…OMG…it is JESSE PALMER!”

Well, Jesse gets this huge flirtatious smile on his face as he draws nearer. He’s slowing down, getting ready to stop to talk to me. He waves and says hello. As he gets closer, Kush, realizing that I’m distracted…

GOES AFTER JESSE PALMER’S DOG!

Jesse jumps into the bushes on the other side of the path screaming, “WHOA!” I realize that my distraction with Jesse’s heavenly beauty has left me with little to no hold on Kush.

After snapping back into reality and attempting to grab what’s left of the leash, I start pushing Kush away from Palmer’s dog. I yell at Jesse, “Keep going, keep going!”

So Jesse and his dog take off down the trail.

What’s funny is that his dog…(it was an older dog) acted like it was nothing but just some annoying fan! KUSH!

But the story doesn’t end there…

Jesse makes it down to the end of the dirt trail where there’s some poles sticking out from the ground that separates the dirt trail from the road. He stops, turns around to let me know everything’s okay. He smiles and waves again, turns around to continue with his run and runs right SMACK into the pole.

I averted my entire head to try to keep from laughing. I was thinking…OMG, he must be so embarrassed…and would be even more embarrassed if he knew that I saw it!

So to save him from THAT extreme embarrassment, I pushed Kush along to walk down the trail. The funny thing is, Kush was smiling from ear to ear. I realized then and there…Kush was trying to play matchmaker.

So here’s the interesting part of the story. The reason why the Bachelor was in Indianapolis was because he was there to film the second to the last episode where the last two girls get to meet his family.

Ends up his parents lived one block away from me!

What are the odds?

Also, that exchange on the canal told me that he wasn’t interested in either woman that made it to the final round.

So the Jesse Palmer story doesn’t end there…

Later on…I moved to NYC. After the first couple of months in my new neighborhood, I was out walking around in my neighborhood and saw Jesse again on my block. I had to do a double take. I was thinking…NO…this can’t be!

But sure enough it was him.

After the Bachelor, he ended up in Canada and is now living not too far away from where I live now.

Strange coincidences? Oh, I sure as hell think so.

The last time I saw him, he just so happened to be taking a run in my neighborhood. Oddly enough, we ran into each other in my neighborhood in the exact same spot I saw him the time before.

Yes, it is strange. And just imagine my surprise yesterday when a Google search found that Jesse now works in the same industry as me!

The funny thing about all of these chance encounters with Palmer is this…his teammates used to make fun of him and say that he becomes a complete klutz when he’s around a girl that he likes. He really embarrasses the hell out of himself when he meets a girl he likes.

I was thinking about that while me and Kush were heading away from Palmer and his dog and heading to the bridge to finish our walk. I mean, how many professional athletes run smack dab into a pole after meeting a girl?

What a great night for NY-area sports! The Devils FINALLY won at home and the NY Yankees won the World Series. [MATSUI RULES!] As the Metro news guy said on the corner this morning, “Godzilla was loose in the Bronx last night!”

For those who know nada about Yankees baseball (it’s the only baseball team I know anything sports related about because I have friends that are really into Yankees baseball), Godzilla is Matsui (because he’s from Japan). He was MVP of the night because he didn’t just bring the runs in once, or twice…he did it three times! That’s what I call bringing it on home for the team!

I love the fact that he’s Asian…and MVP…and what he did for the NY Yankees in Game 6…and he tied the record for most RBIs in the World Series. Way to go Matsui!

Congratulations YANKEES!

Now the truth is that we were all sneaking a peak as to what was happening over in the Bronx during the Devils game last night. It was a very important night.

As for the Devils, they finally got their second home win! Devils Win At Home

In non-hockey related news…I promised to share a few photos from Greece. Well, these were done specially for a fashion site. I’m modeling 2 things: Valentino sunglasses and an Azuri Confetti Wrap. The black shirt (which you really can’t see) is BCBG Max Azria.

(c) 2009 Michelle Kenneth

(c) 2009 Michelle Kenneth

Here are my ponderings for the day…

1. Why is it that the food we hated as children end up becoming our favorite foods as adults? Case in point, I couldn’t stand sweet potatoes, squash (of any sort), or beets. Beets probably tops the list there.

I’ll tell you why…because back then no one knew how to cook the vegetable right! Sweet potatoes…my brother will only eat it if I make it. Why? Because I have an East Meets West recipe that my brother loves. He’ll eat the orange potato up in a home fries version or as baked fries. Both recipes that I’ve found makes me ask…why in the world did our mother try to get us to eat baked sweet potatoes like a regular potato. It’s just ICK!!!

As for beets, I hated it until I was in France. The French like to use pickled beets on their salads. When I tasted my first pickled beet, I was in love (because I love pickles). Since then, I’ve loved beets…pickled, that is.

Why mom thought that boiled beets was a good meal…YUCK!

Squash…you can make it millions of ways. Why mom wanted to bake them and put butter and brown sugar on it…GROSS.

I can now say my distaste for these vegetables may have had something to do with my mother trying to figure out American vegetables and coming up with an Americanized version of how to make them. She should just stick to her specialty…Thai food.

2. Is it just me or do celebs (actresses/singers) that date athletes tend to jump from one athlete to another (no matter what their sport)?

I’ve been bothered a lot about some stupid dramatic, childish stuff happening to a friend of mine. As someone older, it’s hard to see a friend going through this bullshit, especially a colleague in this business that’s trying to be herself and make it in a male dominated industry.

I said a little prayer for them last night before I meditated and when I meditated, this is what I saw.

God was sitting on top of a mountain. I went and sat by his side.

We were looking down the edge of the mountain. There were people trying to climb to the top of the mountain. He said that we never want to see these people get hurt, so we will try and reach down to grab them and protect them if they were to start to fall.

We want to see every single one of them succeed and make it to the summit. We can’t help but want to reach down and help them, throw them a line and pull them up. But we don’t, because they chose this path and they have to make the climb on their own.

They could have taken the easier path up, but they chose not to. Even if you threw them a line, they wouldn’t take it out of pride. So you have to let them make the climb on their own…only offering to save them before they hit the ground.

Now, there are climbers that set out to make it a competition or seek to do harm to other climbers that are heading in the same direction. They will try to grab them and pull them down.

For those at the top of the mountain, all we want to do is get in between the middle of them and tell the vicious one to step off and go their own way before you push them off the cliff yourself, because it’s one less evil person in the world. But to do that, you would be no less of an evil person than them. So you play the role of parent trying to pry the two apart and tell them to play nice!

People like this don’t realize that when you attempt to pull someone down, you risk falling off of the cliff yourself. God’s more apt to save the victim of the attack from falling before he will reach out his hand to save the evil one. [So if the evil one hits the ground, tough luck.]

When this happens, it becomes a battle for survival even though your chances of surviving are actually greater when you work together as a team to reach the summit. [Something called brotherly love comes to mind.]

The other thing is that throughout life, we are taught that we have to work our way from the bottom to make it to the top. We learn life’s lessons along the way so that we can become better leaders when we make it to the top.

Not too many people can make it to the summit. They give up or fail long before they make it to the top. That’s what separates the ‘outliers’ from everybody else.

Although, there are some people that are different. They go straight to the top. Those are the ones that want to help each and every one make it to the top. But at the same time, they understand for each climber, it is their own journey. We cannot interfere. They have to make it on their own.

When you are on your path in life, you can see the mountain, but you can be right on the ground and be at the top of the mountain at the same time. You don’t have to climb the mountain to reach the summit. All you have to do is close your eyes, and you’re there.

This is a concept that’s very hard for people to understand. Paths in life aren’t always handed out so easily. It takes time to figure it out. Some people need to climb a mountain, just to feel like they’re worthy of their path. Others, don’t have to climb a mountain.

Being at the top of the mountain means you understand fully what it takes to get to that position, as well as what it takes to stay in that position without being knocked down by an avalanche.

There is a shortcut to all of this. The shortcut is wisdom…and love. Don’t think love has anything to do with it? Trust me, it does. It takes wisdom and understanding to know that love is everything.

When you are at the summit, you understand that the dramas of the world are not part of the climb…at least, it doesn’t have to be that way. You also understand that humanity and lending a helping hand (AKA LOVE) is one of the most important virtues of remaining at the top.

People always tell me that they are clueless as to what I’m talking about when I say these things. It usually hits them months later when they are in a similar situation and they exclaim, “Oh, that’s what she was talking about!”

So I don’t expect everyone to understand what I’m talking about right now, but just think on it. It’ll make sense one day.

Here are some song lyrics that come to mind today…

“So Small” by Carrie Underwood

‘Cause sometimes that mountain you’ve been climbing
Is just a grain of sand
And what you’ve been out there searching for forever
Is in your hands

And when you figure out
Love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
Seem so small

Now, as a little inspiration for my friend, here are some lyrics that should make you laugh with regards to your haters.

“Never Wanna See You Again” Rich Hardesty

You’re all upset about nothing
Never want to hurt you, never want to make you cry
Just keep the bullshit to yourself…

‘Cause I never wanna fuckin’ see you again
Well you’ve always been a bitch since I can remember when
And you irritate my brain and you’re driving me insane
No, I never wanna fuckin’ see your ugly-ass again
Tell me, why do you have to be such a bitch
You wicked witch, fuckin’ bitch

And another classic gem from Rich Hardesty (I can’t remember the name of the song, but I’ve heard him play it enough times…and that music video from Jamaica is playing in my head):

If You Don’t Got Nothing Nice To Say
Don’t Say Nothing At All

As you can see, everybody has haters. Those that are successful press on even when others try to pull them down. Those haters are insignificant. You can either make them a part of your career or refuse to acknowledge them.

It is exactly what I thought would happen if Chris Chelios was given any power in the NHLPA. CBC.CA has posted up Ian Penny’s Letter to the NHLPA. Here it is:

This is a letter written by Ian Penny, former interim executive director of the NHLPA on October 23, 2009 to the organization’s player executive board. It details reasons why he believes he was constructively dismissed by the NHLPA. It was obtained by CBCSports.ca

In solidarity, Ian

I think it’s because I’m a little older, I’m going to talk a little about feminism and later about hockey feminism.

I will be the first to say that as a general rule, I don’t hang out with hockey fans. I usually stick to those who work in the business. The reason why has a lot to do with ‘cyberbullying’ and lessons learned from the past. Usually the cyberbullying that I’ve encountered are fans trying to dictate the rules and if you don’t follow their rules, they will attack you.

It starts with one bully, fueled by their minions that turn into a large gang. They feel like they are justified in what they’re doing. Truthfully, they never are.

If the aim is to destroy someone else (that leads to hurting them) then the person is WRONG. We call these people HATERS. Haters like to spew some evil hateful words at anyone that the green eyed monster has zeroed in on. Jealousy is the green eyed monster. Shakespeare called it that because envy and jealousy can turn people into monsters aimed at destroying their target (when in fact the evil only comes back around…we call this KARMA).

For complete reference to the green eyed monster, I suggest watching Kenneth Branagh’s version of “Othello.”

Now, there are a lot of hockey players, hockey columnists, league employees, etc. that come here a lot to read my work. I tend to view this blog as more of an adventures into my world kind of blog. It is connected to everything that there is about my adventures as a hockey columnist. Better yet…a female hockey columnist.

The whole ‘female’ part has its battles of its own, but here, I want to discuss feminism.

I’m going to use the show Desperate Housewives as an example. In the show, Bree VanDerKamp is the Martha Stewart of the bunch. She comes out with her own cookbook, company, etc. in what it means to basically be a woman from the 1950’s.

While most feminists would say that a woman that embraces the ‘Martha Stewart housewife’ lifestyle is taking a step back in the feminist movement, it actually isn’t. The feminist movement should not say that it is wrong to enjoy cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their families (having an elaborate dinner on the table every night, flawless homes, etc.). To say that part of being a woman is WRONG is in itself taking a step back in feminism.

Trying to become equal to men by degrading what it means to be a woman is in itself taking a step back in the feminist movement.

To me, what the feminist movement is really about is protecting women from being wronged, degraded, or victimized. It’s purpose is to advance women into a position where we are deemed as HUMAN BEINGS, and not anything less. As women, we have to help each other out and stick up for each other. We have to help escalate women in this world.

BUT you can’t do that by destroying the meaning of what it means to be a woman. We took strides in becoming liberated as a sexual being and being able to do whatever the hell we wanted to do with our own sexuality and bodies. We take pride in the fact that we can now work in male dominated arenas and still hold onto our feminine ways. We celebrate what it means to be a woman no matter what we look like, what we do, or how we live.

Any woman that tries to thwart our freedom to be a woman is in fact not an ally to the feminist movement.

The feminist movement is about being free to be women, not be as equal as men are by changing ourselves to be more like a man.

Psycho Lady Hockey has come under fire as of late as being anti-feminist and everything that is wrong with ‘puck bunnies.’ Personally, I love her blog and anyone that doesn’t like it can move on. You don’t have to keep going back to her blog and then start a campaign to blacklist her and her followers, friends and readers. That’s childish.

The claims made against Psycho Lady Hockey are in fact wrong and written by someone that apparently doesn’t know her personally and is reading into something that isn’t there and judging her based on what they think they see.

I’ve been reading Katrina’s work since Buddy Oakes (Preds On the Glass) introduced me to it. Her work makes me laugh. There are a few pieces that are controversial enough that I don’t like what she says, but I don’t condemn her for it. She’s entitled to her own opinion…and sometimes she is doing it to spark some sort of reaction from her readers. If she can do it then her job is done for the day.

Now, I’ve worked from a grassroots level with V-Day and women’s shelters. I was even the Director of Governmental and World Affairs for a non-profit that I helped start up (when I left, it completely fell apart). I was the female voice in that group, and that voice was the voice that dominated…and people listened.

My aim was to use that voice for good and to help people. In layman’s terms, it’s called paying it forward.

You gain respect when your aim is for good.

There are so many facets to feminism, but the true aim is to excel women in this world in a positive manner and to celebrate what it means to be a woman.

I like Psycho Lady Hockey because it is a different aspect of feminism. It is the freedom to be a little psycho when it comes to being a female hockey fan. She is a true hockey fan underneath the Psycho Lady exterior. Her adventures across the NHL to see every hockey arena in the NHL is inspiring. We love her blog because we love reading about her adventures.

I’m 10 years older than Katrina and even her blog inspires me in so many different ways. She has my respect as a fellow female hockey columnist, colleague and friend.

There are things that a lot of female hockey fans are afraid of being called…and that’s a “puck bunny.” We are so busy trying to be equal to the male sports fan that anything that can make us remotely feminine is shunned.

Some women shun wearing anything pink or clothing remotely aimed towards the female hockey fan that the NHL sells. It’s as if it is wrong to be a woman AND a hockey fan. There’s nothing wrong with wearing the female hockey gear. There’s nothing wrong with wearing the male hockey gear. All that matters is that you feel great about what you’re wearing. But to take aim at women that would wear pink or feminine clothing to a hockey game is a step back from feminism.

Female fans have the right to express themselves any which way they want to. Ice girls wear less clothing (and I do feel bad for them if they’re flaunting too much skin because it is cold in there).

For a single heterosexual female that’s into sports to say that they don’t have a ‘thing’ for any player…it’s a LIE. If you have never had a crush on an athlete, you will someday. Even I still say that Jesse Palmer (the Bachelor former NFL quarterback) is HOT.

Most teenage girls that get into sports do it because of some cute jock. That is the truth. Just ask all of Zach Parise’s young female fans. When he scores a goal…there’s shrieking throughout Prudential Center…and a bunch of them call themselves MRS. PARISE.

Also when it comes to where I sit during a game when I pay for tickets, I usually sit in the front row. It has nothing to do with picking up a player or flirting with them from my seat. Remember, I have all types of access to them…and IF I were that type of woman, I’d already have tried plenty of times to pick up a few players. But I’m not that type of person. I also do not take kindly to any player that would attempt to hit on me. It’s unprofessional and can lead to something called SEXUAL HARASSMENT. People lose their jobs every day if there’s even a hint of that stuff going on.

Sitting in the front row is a unique experience. I see the game differently when I sit down in front. I’m looking for things that you can’t even fathom I’m looking for in assessing a player, how they play and their contribution to the team. It’s the technical details I’m viewing.

When I first got into hockey, that’s how I learned about hockey…right down by the ice. You view the game differently from that position. You learn things that you’re not going to learn anywhere else higher up in the arena or on television. Even during practices, I’m down in front looking for certain things.

Trust me, if I see something wrong…say a player’s skating not being up to par…and I print it…the next day, the players are running skating drills. You’re not going to pick that up from the nosebleeds.

Even the MSG sportscasters John Giannone and Al Trautwig watch the game down by the ice. They are watching the game the exact same way that I’m watching the game.

When I sit behind the bench, I’m actually watching the coach coaching his team. You learn things when you listen to the coach and watch the team working together to strategize and talk about what they’re going to do next.

I always like listening to a player mic’d up during a game. You get a different view of the game when that happens. Sitting behind the bench is the same thing, as well as sitting in the front row (because I read lips).

To stereotype all female hockey fans that sit in the front row as being a whore, slut, etc. it’s sadly WRONG.

Now, there are women out there that do sit down by the ice in an effort to pick up hockey players (which I don’t understand how that would work considering there’s a sheet of glass between them and the players). I don’t associate with those types. To each their own. It’s their fairy tale world, not mine…but I will not condemn them for it, because it’s THEIR LIFE. Who am I to say what’s right and wrong? This is a part of hockey.

As one of the few female hockey columnists in the league, we have to deal with the bullshit of these stereotypes from both men and women alike. We have to constantly prove that we are not what people ‘assume’ we are because we are a woman or a pretty face. If you’re in it for the players, pick another profession.

Psycho Lady Hockey is a humorous site. The men I’ve spoken to today about the site are absolutely appalled by the hate mail that Psycho Puck Lady got.

They’re not drooling over her. They read her work for pure entertainment value only and nothing more. Many hockey writers in the business respect what she’s doing and that she’s in a certain niche. She’s chronicling her adventures as a hockey addict.

It’s like TMZ versus the New York Times. TMZ has more followers than the NYT sells papers. People go there for entertainment value.

If you don’t like her work, then don’t read it. I don’t visit TMZ because I don’t like their content, their paparazzi ways, and lack of privacy into celebrities personal lives. I’ve boycotted them.

My point is if you don’t like what she’s doing, don’t read her blog. If you keep passing it along to get people to join your bandwagon…you’re only increasing her popularity. If you don’t want her numbers to increase, then BOYCOTT HER. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

And if you haven’t figured out that Psycho Puck Lady is a CHARACTER, then you’ve totally misread all of her work.

In celebration of Halloween, I thought I’d do a little special on a few of the scariest hockey moments that have scared the crap out of me.

But before I get into the gory details, make sure you support UNICEF’s Trick-or-Treat Campaign.

Also, Trick or Treat For Our Troops is an interesting charity. After all, do we really need all of that candy?

Teach the kids about helping out other kids in the world and our troops!

Now to the Top 5:

5. Richard Zednik’s Throat Slashed

I remember watching this game on TV when it happened. It was horrible. Luckily for Zednik, the guys that saved his life that night were there when #1’s incident happened. Chances of getting your throat slashed and surviving it in Buffalo are pretty high. Yes, there is a lot of irony in the fact that two throats slashed all happened in Buffalo territory.

4. Brendan Shanahan Dead?

For any Rangers fan or Shanahan fan, seeing Shanny carried off on a stretcher, completely unmoving after colliding with Mike Knuble could make anyone’s heart stop.

Truthfully, this video (personally) would be number 1, but (professionally) it hits #4.

3. Jiri Fischer Collapses On Bench

2. Alexei Cherepanov Dies

Being a huge fan of Jaromir Jagr, seeing the last minutes of Cherepanov’s life is one of the most haunting videos you’ll ever see. Alexei’s dream was to play hockey with Jagr. He got that wish before he died.

1. Clint Malarchuk’s Throat Cut

This has to be one of the scariest moments in hockey. The video explains it all.

Today I got a few invites for Thanksgiving weekend, but since one of my colleagues at Inside Hockey beat the other one to it, I’m heading to Boston. I usually don’t go on the road for the Devils, but I’ve been meaning to get up to Boston one of these days, so it comes at an opportune time because the Devils meet the Bruins the day after Thanksgiving.

As far as going to Nashville to catch a Predators game, I may venture out there sometime during the last half of the season.

Since my battery went dead on my Blackberry before I arrived at the arena last night (I have no idea why it did that…could be because I dropped it earlier in the morning), I didn’t get that interview with Ryan Miller like I had hoped, so that means in December, I’m heading up to Buffalo when the Devils go so I can get the Miller interview.

That is…if the poker tour doesn’t conflict.

Last night was my first night back at Prudential Center. My body is a little screwed up with the sleep schedule, so even before I arrived there, I could feel my body starting to shutdown and go into sleep mode. I struggled to keep the body awake throughout the game, so I’m hoping I touched on all of the relevant points: Devils Drop Another Home Game

Make sure to check the front page of Inside Hockey for the photo with all of the kids from the UNICEF Trick-or-Treat campaign.

As far as a Shanny update (since a lot of you loyals want to know about Shanny)…I’m going to vent a second on 2 things.

First, don’t believe it when you read it when it concerns the Philadelphia Flyers. The GM said NO! What makes you think he changed his mind so soon? No means NO! Don’t believe any other publication that says “Flyers in the mix.”

Second, I was a little disturbed by something I read before I headed on vacation. I’m not sure if there was truth to it or not, but I’m going to talk about it here, because the source was very reliable.

If this is true, I am thankful that Shanny is no longer a New Jersey Devil just from the pure disloyalty of it all.

I read that Shanny was contesting David Clarkson’s position as the NJD player rep for the NHLPA because Clarky voted “YES” for Paul Kelly’s firing based on the information that was presented to him.

Now, I understand the politics of the situation. Shanny wanted to become the NJD player rep just as much as Chelios wants to get in and have a lot of power and say. Shanny and Chelios running around the NHLPA is probably the scariest situation for the NHLPA.

Shanny is the liberal part of the group. Chelios is the conservative part of the group. Having these two with a say in the NHLPA…that would be war. [And to think that Paul Kelly's firing was messy...this would be a nightmare.]

I don’t recommend that the NHLPA allow either in with power just for the sake of keeping peace in the NHLPA as they try to rebuild it and move on. I won’t even go into the whole Chelios thing where he’s requested that all internal NHLPA talks amongst its employees be reported back to him. That scares me to death for the players…

As for the part where Shanny was contesting David Clarkson…read Goon With A Big Heart Part 1 and 2. Clarky worshiped Shanny growing up. To have Shanny do this to someone that idolized him throughout most of his life? That’s just wrong on so many levels.

It reminds me of those movies where a kid goes up to their favorite athlete and asks for an autograph and the guy is a complete asshole to the kid. It’s heartbreaking!

If this is the man that Shanny is…I am thankful that he is no longer a New Jersey Devil. You have to think of who you’re hurting before you start taking action. To hurt others to attain power…at what cost? Was it worth it in the end if you lose the respect of those who once admired you?

I am still a Shanny faithful, but sometimes you have to say something when it screams WRONG all over it.

But like I said…I don’t know if it was true, but the source was very reliable.

So the hockey world that knows both me and Katrina Cady (aka Psycho Puck Lady) have been biting their nails like crazy thinking…OMG…what in the world are those two girls talking about??? All I can say is…be afraid, be very afraid.

I won’t divulge on our hockey girl talk. It’s private. There are teams that should be scared when two hockey writers that will push the card (one to the edge, one over the edge) are meeting up in New York City to talk and talk and talk for hours.

Today’s post at Psycho Lady Hockey (see link on the right) was one of our many topics last night. Her story reminded me a bit of what I went through years ago with someone attempting to cyberbully me…let’s just say things changed dramatically when I put a stop to it.

What’s funny is that someone emailed me last week after I announced I was going on tour with Mats Sundin and they commented on how strange it was that just 3 years ago that crap was happening to me and then now…it’s just unbelievable.

Based on my experience with being a victim of cyberbullies, they never know that they’re doing it. They feel as if they are justified in doing what they’re doing.

I was very disappointed to learn that a campaign was launched against Katrina last week.

I don’t want to get into the middle of all of this, but I just want to say that before you launch negative campaigns, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How would you feel if you knew someone was doing that to you? It’s not a good feeling. Remember, KARMA is real and it will bite you in the ass tenfold for every wrong act you commit. It’s just a universal fact of life.

It was very heartbreaking to know that people were targeting Katrina. It’s not right. But what Kat had to say in her blog today, it was more than appropriate.

Now, in other news…I have to share this because I was so excited to hear this…

I had to run to the eye doctor last night on an emergency basis before meeting up with Kat. While I sat there going over my lengthy medical history and what 2 eye docs found last year (that the cornea in my left eye was completely gone…I’ve been wearing a special lens meant to supplement the lost cornea), the new eye doc looked at my eye and announced that it was the strangest thing.

The cornea had grown back.

The other two doctors had spoken about a cornea replacement which would require surgery. I had put it off because I wanted to get the easier surgery out of the way (which ended up not being so easy and a lot of complications followed which delayed my heading in for another surgery). I planned to get the cornea replacement during the off-season (this past summer).

Well, for the past few months, I have not been able to see out of my left eye very well…apparently it’s because the cornea grew back and the special lens was no longer needed.

Not only did my cornea grow back, but my vision improved.

It is rare that the cornea will grow back, but it does happen. So I am very happy that I no longer have to have surgery on my eye! It was so bad last year that I almost thought I was going to have to quit hockey because the ice blinded me at times.

Trust me…this is the first positive health news I’ve had in a year!

As for hockey…Devils faceoff against the Sabres tonight. This will be my first hockey game since I’ve been back home.

While most people are sleeping in NYC (or just getting to bed), I’m awaking to a new day at 3:30AM, trying to find something constructive to do with my time before I have to head into the office. I decided that since my body will be thrust between European time zones and NYC’s time zone, it’s best to just come up with a medium time…and that time is 3:30AM.

So this morning while I was going through the photos that required some modeling of my Valentino eyewear for ideeli.com, I was listening to the radio and a topic came up that I have sworn to my girlfriends time and time again was true.

It dealt with women and sports.

Now, for most women, they think that a woman who knows or likes sports is an ideal woman for any man who loves sports.

AU CONTRAIRE!

The male radio host piped in and said that men are in fact intimidated by women who love sports.

Men that I’ve met over the past couple of years love the notion that I’m a writer. Downer to the conversation if they’re trying to pick me up…what I write about.

When they find out that I’m a hockey columnist, the interest plummets faster than a speeding bullet. Now, if you a) work in hockey or b) play hockey…that’s actually a turn on…a woman that knows and understands the sport like you do.

But for all those other men out there…serious downside to picking up a woman is finding out that she writes about a sport that you may or may not love and understands it better than you do. They feel intimidated by her.

It’s almost like it attacks their masculinity that a woman has a better grasp on a sport than they do! It makes them feel inferior.

Now, if I hang out long enough in the NHL store or the NHL Starbucks, I’ll get picked up. No joke.

If I go to a sports bar…no way in hell a man will pick me up…unless I leave out that I write about hockey. Granted, I would have to make my girlfriends swear up and down to not mention anything about hockey.

I’ve learned that even though my life is surrounded by hockey, in the real world…I can’t talk hockey without scaring people off. Even my friends change the subject when a fan comes up and wants to talk about my career with me. The girls don’t like the subject of hockey. It’s a banned subject wherever we go.

Really, you can’t blame them. Talking sports chases the real men away and they’re trying to lure them in.

So for the ladies into sports…remember, if you know your sports, leave that conversation for after the third month.

[Guys...feel free to chime in here or on Twitter (@MichelleKenneth). So far the intimidation factor has proven correct.]

On my last day in Santorini and on the plane to London the next morning, I couldn’t tear myself away from “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell (a book that Pat LaFontaine suggested I read to understand the importance of hockey and poker).

After finishing the book (a very quick read), I have to say…I don’t entirely agree with Mr. Gladwell’s thoughts on what it means to be an outlier, because I am considered an outlier as well.

If you want to know my history…first, I have to rant a little…I can’t stand people that like to talk about how their ancestors were slaves.

So what? My mother was sold into slavery at the age of 8 by her own family so that they could have enough money to buy food for 3 months. My mother was abused for years during her servitude before she ran away at the age of 16. By 21, she married the first American soldier that took an interest in her so that she could get the hell out of her country.

So trust me…I turn a deaf ear to those who want to talk about how their great- great- great- grandparents were slaves and they have a right to be mad at white people, slave owners, etc.

I’m Scottish royalty descended from King Robert the Bruce…guess what? That doesn’t matter anymore because what is dead is dead. I don’t hate the British because they took over my family’s lands and homes. I don’t hate the British because they put our family in fear that had them fleeing the country for America.

I like the British. The British of today weren’t the ones who persecuted my family way back when. I don’t hold a grudge. In a way, I’m thankful that I’m not in line to any throne anytime soon. I wouldn’t have enjoyed that life at all.

The history of my mother’s slavery is what makes my story more unique. There are very few people in America that can talk about slavery and how their very own mother was a slave. That kind of slave story is alive in the history of my life because of what my mother went through to save me and future generations from becoming slaves.

Slavery still exists in this world today. If you want to talk about slavery…start talking about fighting slavery in the world today. My cousins are constantly being thrust into the position of trying to make it in a third world country and escaping slavery or human trafficking scenarios. Slavery still exists today for my family.

The reason why I go off on this rant is because Gladwell talks about slavery at the end of his book and how his great whatevers were slaves and he descended from slaves. I descended from a king, whose great whatever grandson married a slave. So friggin what? The important part is what my mother did so that her children would not become a slave like her and what we still continue to do to save our own family in Thailand from being sold into slavery.

My mother married a man she barely even knew so that she could go to a land where children could not be born into slavery. That land was America. In that dream of America, she had hopes that her children would someday be great and tell her story.

It was my mother that suggested I become a hockey writer a long time ago. My mother and I are estranged now and she has no idea that I do tell her story…and I’m a hockey writer…and I fight to eradicate slavery in the world.

But I don’t base the history of how I came into being from a birthdate or circumstances like Gladwell suggests in his book. I base the history of my success on a blessing from my grandfather when he died. My life began when his ended.

The problem with Gladwell’s book is that he leaves out God, synchronicity within the universe and the paths in life that people are destined for. Destiny is not predetermined in a birthdate or lucky opportunities.

If you could see my world, you would see that it is more than just a bit magical. You can’t help but see it in everything I touch, say and do.

My world is a bit charmed.

I don’t base this charmed life with unique and incredible opportunities on a birthdate or privileged circumstances. I base this path on fate and destiny.

Last season, in the Devils locker room, I couldn’t help but feel the bit of magic in that room. Everyone could feel it. It almost felt like I was rubbing off on these guys. I could even pinpoint the exact moment when the magic balloon bursted and the subsequent look on Patrik Elias’ face. When that moment of luck ended, it was really over and everyone in that room could feel it.

Belief became hope. When a belief becomes a hope, you’re doomed for failure.

I meditate a lot because I need to understand things fully. There are things hidden in the universe that need to be revealed. It is through meditation that I’m able to connect with God and see everything that lies around me…I’m searching for the truth.

But I am also a firm believer in the saying, “Through God all things are possible.” There is so much truth in that saying.

Before my grandfather passed, he told me that nothing would work out for me unless I was on my path in life. Until I am on my path in life, nothing will work out.

So what did I do? I found my path…or rather…my path found me and I have not left it once.

There are twists and turns along the way and options that are presented where it’s a choose your own adventure sort of destiny, but when that happens, I’ll wait for the answer to come.

Things work out more magically than I can ever dream it to be because I am following my destined path in life.

So if I reject a guy, it’s because I know already, “You’re not the one. If you were the one, you would have shown up in my meditations already.” So guys don’t take the rejection too harshly. God just didn’t put you into my plans in this lifetime. Maybe he’ll consider you an option in the next lifetime.

And…ummm…yeah, I already know who the guy is. He shows up in the meditations a lot. Not that I want him to because I’m focusing on something else, but he shows up regardless. There’s a bit of a strong connection there that you can’t help but notice it. Hell, the connection is so strong EVERYONE in the room notices it.

I’ve been dreaming about him since I was 15 years old…or at least the signs that would point to who it was.

But the thing is…a true outlier is someone that defies the odds of mediocrity. The outliers are the ones that succeed in life beyond those that are standing right next to them that choose a simpler life.

I’ve always known I was destined for great things. People throughout my life have seen it too. I know already what those great things are. Great things aren’t always big things. They can also be the little things that can save someone’s life.

My favorite moments are usually the ones where I walk up to someone and tell them the answer to their prayer. They look at me like I’m crazy until I look at them matter of factly and say, “Did you or did you not pray for this?” When they shake their head yes, I then say, “God says the answer is this…you can choose to accept it or not, but either way that is God’s answer.”

It usually shocks the hell out of them, but it’s my way of saying that God exists and the fact that you need someone to tell you he exists has me feeling sorry for your soul…and how important that my upcoming book is for those that are not outliers.

Now, I will admit that when I’m scared or worried and I keep telling myself to not worry, God sometimes has my little angel Rolly call me up just to re-emphasize his point that everything will be okay. Trust me, that little phone call works because I have to remind myself to believe and stop worrying (because worrying doesn’t help anything or anyone).

That is the difference between belief and hope. I believe and put full faith in God that his path is my path. I don’t question it, I just enjoy the ride.

When you hope for something, it’s not meant to be yours. Hope is something created. To me, it’s not real. Hope is a fictitious reality.

When you believe in something…that means that it is real to you.

As an outlier, you can never discount karma or God. Even Bill Gates’ secret to his success lies more in his service to humanity rather than computers and his billions. Good karma means good karma coming back to you. What good you put forth into the world, the same good comes back to you (but in a different way). What evil you put forth into the world, that evil comes back to you tenfold.

Bad things do happen to good people, but it’s how we view the situation that makes it good or bad. It’s like the relationship I have with my father (who also reads this blog). I learned a long time ago that my father’s hate for me and the torment he went through because of my existence was not really aimed towards me in the greater scheme of things. I was really a lesson that God had sent. It took him most of my life before he got it, but it helped me get through the pain by realizing that he knows not what he does to me. I understood that I was a lesson for him.

It was in that understanding of my role in all of this that I could stop feeling pain and realize that there was good in all of this. God had a plan. The reward ended up being far greater than I could imagine.

You see…being an outlier is not predestined upon when you were born or your privileged circumstances. Becoming an outlier is based on living your dream and following your path in life. Each person’s path is different. There are no two paths that are alike.

So if you dream of being Bill Gates…you will never be Bill Gates, because Gates followed his path in life. That was his path, not yours. You take from Bill his inspirational story to follow your own path in life…it is a lesson on the importance of becoming yourself.

In our childhood, we know what we are destined to become. I was always destined to become a writer of books. But it is the world that changes our view of things. We become confused when we get involved in the drama of the world. We lose our way when we become part of the drama.

It was when I was offered my first hockey column two weeks after my grandfather died that I realized that I always knew my path in life. I remember the first sentence I ever wrote. I remember the first book I ever read to myself when no one else was around. I still remember every word in that book.

I remember my first story I ever wrote. I remember the awards I won for writing. I remember being in the 98th percentile of all school children nationwide being tested for English. I also remember the person who realized what my destiny was and announced it before my entire 6th grade class.

Writing was my path in life. It took the death of my grandfather for me to see that. When I stormed down that path in life, amazing things happened.

Outliers are really those that pursue their path in life. We are all destined for great things, whether they are big or small. It just depends on whether we believe in ourselves and God enough to have the courage to follow our paths we were destined for.

Remember who you were before the world started to tell us who we were. They were wrong. Believe that you were the only person that was right all along about who you really were. Nobody knows you like you do.

It takes remembering who you were to find your path. It takes courage to believe in yourself. When you find that courage, you’ll ask yourself why you ever doubted yourself to begin with.

Oh, and as a FYI…maybe you can see a little of where I’m heading with the book “Losing 100 Pounds of Unhappiness.”